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Père David's deer

[ pair dah-veedz deer, pair dey-vidz ]

noun

  1. a medium-sized, reddish-gray deer, Elaphurus davidianus, of which stocks were obtained in Beijing (formerly, Peking) in 1865 and brought to parks in Europe before the remaining Chinese deer were killed in 1900: the species is sustained in captivity.


Père David's deer

noun

  1. a large grey deer, Elaphurus davidianus, surviving only in captivity as descendants of a herd preserved in the Imperial hunting park near Beijing


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Word History and Origins

Origin of Père David's deer1

First recorded in 1895–1900; named after Père Armand David (1826–1900), French missionary, the deer's first European observer

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Père David's deer1

C20: named after Father A. David (died 1900), French missionary

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